


Artificial Nocturne

by cheinsaw



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, MMORPGs, Non-Graphic Violence, Rivalry, Trolling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 01:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3310523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheinsaw/pseuds/cheinsaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mokou may as well be the silent champion of the fantasy MMO Gensou Online. The only thing standing in their way is another player, known as kaguyahime, who seems to go out of her way to ruin Mokou's virtual life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Artificial Nocturne

**Author's Note:**

> guess who lived on runescape in 2008? it was me
> 
> nocturne: a piece of music, usually for the piano, evocative of night.

Mokou gets home from their gross fast food job at just after midnight each night, settling into a tiny, creaky apartment. It doesn't really matter to them. They work enough to pay the bills, to get things done. And they come home smelling of fried chicken. But when that door opens, just after midnight, that's when Mokou's life really begins.

Mokou started playing Gensou Online when they were fifteen, starting as a low-level generic character and eventually leveling up into a powerful warrior. First they used the game as a way to escape from high school. They would explore its realms, finding the admittedly low-quality graphics calming, like a second home. Along the way, they trained, their little player character growing until they had amazing attack and defense skills. When they graduated high school, they kept playing the RPG, completing every quest until there was nothing left to do. Then they maxed out all their fighting skills. Then the magic skills, because those were useful. Then cooking, because it was all they really knew how to do offline anyway, besides fight. Then, one by one, every skill was maxed. They had items, they had gold, they had notoriety among the player community. Shortly after they broke the all-time leveling-up record when they were eighteen, they began to see people on the forums discussing what they thought the person behind Mokou's avatar, MourningPhoenix, was like in real life.

Mokou would be the champion of Gensou if it weren't for one little problem: a user known only as kaguyahime.

kaguyahime is a griefer. Like Mokou, they've accumulated skills and points and treasure galore. Unlike Mokou, they seem to go out of their way to piss people off, most specifically Mokou. Their avatar is a bright-eyed, long-haired girl with a pet rabbit following her around. Mokou highly doubts they're female offline. Probably one of those creepy gamer guys who makes their player a cute girl. In the few times Mokou's run into them in-game, they've been ruthless, making the servers lag, baiting huge swarms of monsters into attacking other players, and picking up items that definitely aren't theirs to take.

kaguyahime always seems to be with another high-level player, a medic and archer who goes by OMO1KANE. The rumor goes that they've never been seen apart for more than a second, even logging in and out at the same time. Probably the same person with two accounts, Mokou rationalizes. The archer has to be a bot that follows the main account around, and heals them in the event that there's trouble. So, essentially, kaguyahime is unbeatable.

Mostly, Mokou tries to ignore them. kaguyahime is not worth their time.  But they can't deny that if, given the chance, they'd definitely fight her. But there's always the pull of a good challenge, the thought that, with a little luck, the only person to defeat kaguyahime could be them. And then Gensou would be all theirs, once again.

* * *

Mokou really has no need to train, with their fighting levels maxed. They mostly fight NPCs for the item drops, and to keep their status as having the highest logged attack experience points out of every Gensou player. They're mindlessly slaying high-level orc monsters when kaguyahime teleports in, halfway across the screen, with OMO1KANE in tow not even a second later. Mokou ignores both of them. If they're here to train, then it's not Mokou's problem. Plenty of weird orc creatures for everybody to kill.

Until kaguyahime's avatar, faster than should be possible, pops directly next to Mokou and lands the finishing blow on the NPC they'd been fighting, collecting all the gold it drops as well as the experience for killing it.

Mokou's jaw drops in real life, and before they can even register what they're doing they're typing furiously to the in-game public chat, something they rarely do.

> MourningPhoenix: what the fuck  
>  kaguyahime: oops :)

Mokou grimaces, but it's whatever. They move over to a different area of the field, away from kaguyahime, and resume kicking orcs. They've got their third one down to its last 60 HP or so when an arrow flies out of nowhere, leaving it at a scarily close 2 HP.

Mokou quickly deals the finishing blow, collects the drop items, and directs their avatar back to where kaguyahime stands. They kind of wish Gensou had the mechanics for an avatar to stomp while walking. It would make them look a lot more intimidating.

> MourningPhoenix: jfc quit kill stealing whats your problem  
>  kaguyahime: :( you got to kill it that time though  
>  MourningPhoenix: still seriously leave other peoples kills alone  
>  kaguyahime: i was helping!  
>  MourningPhoenix: well dont

kaguyahime doesn't answer. Next to them, OMO1KANE looses an arrow from their bow, destroying an orc in one hit.

> kaguyahime: eirin, should we go? this is boring. :(  
>  OMO1KANE: Of course.

"I'm not done with you," Mokou hisses out loud, but, of course, kaguyahime can't hear them. They're typing the beginnings of a challenge when OMO1KANE and kaguyahime both teleport away, leaving Mokou alone in the little pixelated wasteland.

> MourningPhoenix: fuck

But no one is around, and they're typing to dead air. They kick another orc to death out of frustration, grumble audibly in real life, log out, kick their pants off, and curl into bed.

* * *

At work the next day, when they're lifting chicken strips out of the fryer, Mokou can't stop thinking about kaguyahime. The whole situation _unreasonably_ pisses them off, but they can't put their finger on exactly why, aside from the obvious kill-stealing annoyances from last night. But when they stop to consider it—it was _theirs_. Gensou was their special place, their escape from all the bullshit in real life, and it's not fair that kaguyahime can come in and ruin everything.

So, naturally, they want to learn everything possible about their enemy.

Before logging on when they get home, Mokou looks up kaguyahime's profile in the forums. They're in luck, as it seems that kaguyahime has already gone through the effort of changing it from the default.

_kaguyahime – F – Lvl. 96_

Then a bunch of stats Mokou doesn't really care about, though they note with glee that most of their own levels, particularly in combat, are higher. Then the written profile:

_hello! i am kaguya, an ordinary girl who loves gaming, rabbits, and sleeping. :)_

Mokou is starting to develop an irrational hatred for smiley faces.

_i'm mostly on at night, and i'm usually with my best friend eirin OMO1KANE. if you see us, say hi!!!_

_and yes i'm really a girl irl!!!!!! stop asking!!!!!!!!!!!! >:(_

Mokou gets only three important things from Kaguya's profile: her gender, her name (or at least what she wants to be called), and the information that she's close to, if not actually in the same time zone as Mokou. Interesting.

* * *

It's an entire week before they run into her again.

Mokou spends most of their time away from highly-populated areas, not wanting to deal with the awkwardness of being recognized and having to log out to get away from the onslaught of messages. Sometimes, like when it comes to depositing their items, it's inevitable. Kaguya is just outside the bank, a few lower-level players fawning over her. Smiley faces dominate the chatbox. Mokou prays desperately that Kaguya won't notice, but no such luck. They pretend not to pay attention as Kaguya types that she has "something to take care of that just came up, sorry :(". They only came to deposit their items and get out. But when they leave, Kaguya follows.

She doesn't say anything for a while, keeping a safe distance with OMO1KANE trailing at her heels. Mokou ignores her. Maybe she just happens to be walking to the same place. But when they pass through a field infested with large, mutated rabbit monsters, Kaguya's sprite runs up ahead, right into the thickest patch of enemies. She darts back to her place at OMO1KANE's side, with the rabbits advancing towards Mokou.

Mokou doesn't really care. They just keep watching, knowing that the rabbits usually leave them alone. Their stat levels are much higher than most Gensou NPCs. So they're shocked, even saying " _What?_ " out loud, when one of the rabbits makes a swipe at them. Then another. Fourteen rabbits in total surround them, and Mokou hisses. Kaguya must have baited them all into attacking, and then led them to Mokou while she fell back, forcing Mokou to fight—

Is she...  _testing_ them?

Mokou shoots her a private message, their fingers tapping on the keyboard furiously.

> [PM] MourningPhoenix: listen  
>  [PM] MourningPhoenix: idk what you fucking want but  
>  [PM] MourningPhoenix: fight me for real  
>  [PM] MourningPhoenix: none of this aggro bs i want to fight YOU one on one

It's a full minute before they get a reply.

> [PM] kaguyahime: sure! but you'll probably regret it. ;)

Mokou rolls their eyes at the emoticon, but lets their mouth twist into a wry smile. They've got Kaguya right where they want her.

* * *

 

Gensou has restricted zones where players can actually fight each other, probably to prevent unsuspecting ambushes and the like. Kaguya suggests a place, and Mokou agrees, making their way to just outside the player-kill battleground. Kaguya is already standing there, changing her equipment between two equally powerful bows, with OMO1KANE at her side.

> MourningPhoenix: i said 1v1 im not fighting you AND somebody else  
>  OMO1KANE: Relax. I'm only here to watch.  
>  MourningPhoenix: dont heal her either ok  
>  kaguyahime: true, eirin. it isn't fair that the little bird doesn't have a healer, right?

Mokou snorts loudly as they realize the "little bird" is probably a reference to their username, but they're not about to give Kaguya a lecture on the intricacies of phoenixes when they could just as easily kick her ass in online combat. Though it's probably better if she has no idea. A phoenix will resurrect over and over and over, not an easy opponent in to-the-death combat.

> OMO1KANE: I am sitting this one out, on my honor. However, I will warn you-  
>  OMO1KANE: -that should you kill Kaguya, I will collect her dropped items.  
>  MourningPhoenix: whatever its not like i even brought any good shit here anyway

They straighten their back and brace themself. This is it. This is it! They're finally going to get to fight her, tapping their foot under their desk in excitement. But they can't let on any of that to Kaguya. Never in a million years.

> MourningPhoenix: here  
>  MourningPhoenix: you can get the first hit  
>  MourningPhoenix: since your attacks lower and all  
>  kaguyahime: thank you! :)

Kaguya's avatar draws her bow and launches three arrows at once, all of which go directly into Mokou's little sprite. "What the fuck?" Mokou says out loud. They're no expert on archery, but they're pretty sure that isn't normal. They retaliate, giving Kaguya a swift kick. It deals less damage than it usually would.

> MourningPhoenix: whats your defense lvl  
>  kaguyahime: 100 :)  
>  MourningPhoenix: SERIOUSLY  
>  kaguyahime: yes! whats your attack?  
>  MourningPhoenix: 100 IM JUST  
>  MourningPhoenix: wow  
>  MourningPhoenix: wow.  
>  kaguyahime: i guess it's fair, then?

It is not fair. Mokou watches as Kaguya unloads another three arrows at once into their avatar. But they're not about to tell her that they're at a disadvantage. It's not like their defense isn't maxed either.

They don't answer, just kick another time. If only this were real life, and Mokou didn't have to wait on a turn-based system, they would destroy her in a fight any day. With both hands tied behind their back. But Gensou's fights aren't anything like the real-life street fights Mokou's been in, where anything goes. Which means they need a different strategy for this battle.

> MourningPhoenix: how are you doing that w/the arrows  
>  kaguyahime: shooting 3???  
>  OMO1KANE: Her archery skill is at the maximum.  
>  MourningPhoenix: augh

Mokou wishes, for a moment, that they had really invested in a fighting style besides punches and kicks, that they'd brought a weapon like a sword or an axe or something. All they have is one last-ditch fire spell, in case they really need it. They try making their avatar punch Kaguya in a sort of uppercut, which— _yes_ —deals more damage than a regular fist punch. The corners of Mokou's mouth quirk up. If they can get a few more of those in, this fight is as good as won.

And then Kaguya skips a turn and regains health.

> MourningPhoenix: SERIOUSLY  
>  kaguyahime: what!!!  
>  OMO1KANE: I didn't heal her. You have my word.  
>  kaguyahime: yeah eirin's all the way over there...  
>  kaguyahime: i healed myself :( thats allowed right?

Mokou slumps down onto their desk. They don't have anything to heal themself, and certainly not a weapon as powerful as Kaguya's. They waste a few turns uppercutting her some more, but her health boost and the damage she's already done have made Mokou's disadvantage even more pronounced.

Fuck. They're not losing this fight.

They quickly open up the magic spell interface, making sure they brought the right items and runes for what they're about to do. Their hand is shaking as they click _Cast: Fujiyama Volcano._ It only takes a second, engulfing the screen in a barrage of pixelated fire. Kaguya's avatar flashes red, over and over, indicating that her HP is going down faster than before.

> kaguyahime: !!!!

She shoots a few more arrows into Mokou, lowering their HP to a near-critical level, but the lasting damage has already been done. Kaguya probably wasn't banking on being severely burned during combat, and from the way things look, she doesn't have anything else to heal herself with. Mokou drives one final kick into Kaguya, and her sprite falls to the ground in defeat before disappearing.

Mokou lets out a breath they didn't know they were holding. They killed kaguyahime. They did it! They defeated kaguyahime, and it feels so satisfying.

> OMO1KANE: You fought well.  
>  MourningPhoenix: thx

True to OMO1KANE's word, they gather Kaguya's drops, and quickly teleport out—probably back to the respawn point for killed players. Mokou's left alone, with only the pixelated trees and dirt in the low-quality landscape. They stand there for a few moments, savoring the victory, and then move their avatar to safety before logging off for the night. In the dark of their apartment, they grin. Nothing has felt better than this in a long, long time.

* * *

When Mokou logs on again the next night, there's a little notification at the bottom of the screen. _Friend Request: Add kaguyahime to your Friends list?_

> [PM] kaguyahime: hi little bird! um  
>  [PM] kaguyahime: i just wanted to say congratulations for beating me  
>  [PM] kaguyahime: and i think it would be really nice to be friends! like…  
>  [PM] kaguyahime: you and me and eirin are probably the three strongest players here  
>  [PM] kaguyahime: and i kind of want to get to know you!  
>  [PM] kaguyahime: you can ignore this if you want! :) i just thought it'd be nice.

Mokou's first instinct is to block her and leave it at that. Like, this has to be some kind of joke, or a way for Kaguya to get closer so she can attack Mokou again. And Mokou isn't going to fall for it. They aren't that stupid.

But maybe it isn't a trick. Maybe Kaguya really does want to be their friend, or something like it.

They groan loudly at Kaguya, at themselves, at the whole world, and click _Accept_.


End file.
